More thoughts on Following...

Leonard Sweet has written some powerful thoughts on following Jesus in his book "I am a Follower..."

"The church is led not by leaders but by Christ.  The head of the church is Christ.  Everyone else is a follower."

"Jesus says, 'Among you it will be different.'
     You want to be first?  Be last.
      You want to be greatest?  Be least.
       You want to find yourself?  Lose yourself!
       You want to be exalted?  Be humble.
The first question in a followership culture is this:  Is it different among us?"

"It is time we owned up to the false category of leader and its idolatry.  Leadership is a function.  Followership is an identity.  If we don't recognize this, we are no different from the ancient Israelites in this exchange with God in 1 Samuel 8:
      People: "We want a king (leader).  Give us a king (leader) like the other nations.
      God:  "They have rejected me as their King (Leader)."


"To follow Jesus is a way, a belonging.  To follow Jesus is a truth, a believing.  To follow Jesus is a life, a behaving.  It is to have a mission to be in relationship, to live an incarnate, abundant life."

And from Eugene Peterson:  "The Jesus way wedded to the Jesus truth brings about the Jesus life."